


To All A Good Night!

by ensorcel



Category: Military Wives (2020)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:02:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28302777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ensorcel/pseuds/ensorcel
Summary: Frankie and Jamie come home for Christmas.Set in the same universe asatlantisairlock'sstorytender arms, hold me tightbut can be read alone.
Relationships: Kate Barkley/Lisa Lawson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	To All A Good Night!

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [tender arms, hold me tight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27658787) by [atlantisairlock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/atlantisairlock/pseuds/atlantisairlock). 



Kate flitted around the house, quickly adjusting the wreath that hung on the wall above the television, wiping down the table one last time before spreading the tablecloth—a lovely checkered pattern that she’d picked up at the local Walmart ten minutes away—and placed down the freshly made cookies in the middle, squinting slightly to check if it was really in the middle.

“Kate,” Lisa said, coming up behind her and wrapping her arms around her waist. “Everything is perfect. Besides, this is Frankie and Jamie we’re talking about. They’ll just be glad to be back.” 

Kate smiled a little. “Yes, yes, I know. It’s just,” she faltered a little. “It’s our first Christmas as a family,” she finished, looking at the ring on her finger, the new one that Lisa had nearly shocked her into a heart attack with when she dropped to one knee after playing the most beautiful piece on the piano with. 

Lisa looked at her softly and kissed her gently. “I understand,” she whispered. 

Kate glanced at the clock. “We’ve still got a couple of hours, I’m going to run out and grab some more wine; I just checked and we’ve only half a bottle left.”

Lisa frowned. “Would they even be open?” 

Kate shrugged. “Only one way to find out.” 

Lisa looked at her carefully. Kate didn’t say anything. 

“You want me to come with you?” 

Kate shook her head. “It’s fine. Can you just prep the table? Don’t you dare touch anything in the kitchen otherwise.” 

Lisa just laughed, kissed her on the cheek, whispered in her ear that she loved her and sent her on her way. Kate bundled up at the door, wrapping the scarf Lisa gave her a couple years back around her neck. The air was cold and the night was dark but the moon was bright and it was Christmas Eve and Kate drove silently to the plaza nearby and the bright lights of the grocery and beer stores were still on. She grabbed a bouquet of flowers on her way out. 

Then, she stopped by the graveyard where Richard was buried—they had decided to lay him to rest out of base, away from Flitcroft—and found her way to the tomb by moonlight and the lone lamp on the outskirts of the cemetery. Kate stood before it, quiet. 

“Happy Christmas, Richard,” she said. She could see her breath, fogging up and floating away. “We miss you,” she added and set the white roses at the base. “I love you,” she whispered, because it was true. “I hope you’re happy.”

The wind blew and the snow came down a little harder and Kate left, as silently as she came and drove home with Christmas songs playing on her radio. Came home and there was no sign of Jamie’s car, so they weren’t back yet and raced inside, feeling the warmth hit her face and heard Lisa on the piano. 

“They were open,” she greeted, somewhat smugly and kissed Lisa. 

“God, you’re cold,” she replied, pulling Kate close. Kate just laughed and set the wine on the counter. “Frankie texted and said that they’d be just twenty minutes.” 

“Good, because they’re late,” Kate quipped, fixing Lisa’s plate placement just a little. Kate saw Lisa roll her eyes from the corner of her vision. 

“They’re college students,” Lisa said, as if it explained everything. Kate supposed it did, only a little though, because she was never late, not even in university. 

“I would ask you to help me plate the food out, but I don’t want a mess in the kitchen,” Kate teased, grabbing the nicer china from the cabinets. Lisa just laughed and went back to the piano. Soft Christmas tunes floated through the house as Kate scooped out all the food and just as she finished, the doorbell rang and Lisa jumped out her seat and Kate followed her. 

The door swung open and a gush of cold wind came in, but Jamie and Frankie were there, suitcases and presents and coats and hats in tow, faces flushed from the chill. 

“Jamie! Frankie!” Kate greeted, hugging both of them tight. Jamie laughed and kissed her on the cheek. 

“Merry Christmas, Mum. Sorry we’re a bit late,” he said, now towering over her. Had he grown even more? 

“No worries,” Lisa said, hugging him and Frankie. 

“Your earrings! They’re lovely,” Kate complimented, eyeing Frankie’s ornamental baubles. She grinned. 

“I’m sure Mum loves them more; they’re exactly something she’d wear,” Frankie quipped and Lisa laughed. 

“Right you are,” she said as Kate grabbed their luggage. 

“Come on, dinner’s on the table,” Kate added, rushing them out of the cramped doorway and closing the cold air out. 

“Smells amazing, Kate,” Frankie commented, hanging her coat up. Kate smiled. 

“Won’t as much if we wait until it’s cold!” 

Everyone laughed and Kate was so warm with her little family of four, together at last, grown up and still growing, basking from the soft glow of the Christmas tree. 

“Come on, kids, before your mother starts really freaking out,” Lisa joked, sitting down. 

“Mum, we can bring those up later,” Jamie said, pulling her away from the suitcases. “It’s Christmas,” he added, looking at her with a bright smile and for a second, he looked so much like his father Kate thought she teared up, just a little. 

“Okay, okay,” she agreed and sat down, uncorking the wine. “How were your terms?” 

Kate listened carefully as Frankie complained about her TAs and how Jamie was enjoying his dissertation very much—though Kate was sure that was a complete lie because  _ no one _ enjoyed their dissertations (not even Kate)—and Lisa chimed in about what the choir was up to now and Kate was warm and cozy and happy in her small home with her two beautiful children and lovely wife and the kind of life that she had always dreamed of but was never sure she was going to get. 

Jamie and Frankie both wolfed down the food and Kate was pretty sure Frankie had been living off of instant ramen and whatever they served in the food halls because even though Kate knew her food was good, it wasn’t Frankie-eating-faster-than-the-speed-of-light good. After dinner, they all sat down in the living room, huddled around the tree with Lisa on the piano and Jamie dug up his guitar from his room and Kate and Frankie were singing along, starting with Jingle Bells then to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer then to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and then finishing with Silent Night and Kate rushed Jamie and Frankie upstairs because it was late and they needed their sleep even though she was sure that they’d both be up way after midnight. 

“Today was lovely,” Kate said, wrapping her arms around Lisa’s waist as she washed the dishes. 

“You’re lovely,” Lisa said back. 

“Flirt.” 

“You love me for it.” 

“That I do,” Kate whispered, kissing her gently. She flipped over her phone and started playing That’s Christmas to Me. Lisa finished up, dried her hands, and spun around, holding Kate in her arms, swaying slightly. Kate grinned. 

“Merry Christmas,” Lisa said, spinning Kate around in the kitchen. 

“Merry Christmas,” Kate said back, kissing her wife gently, softly, warmly as their kids slept upstairs, as the snow came down outside, as their home was warm and bright and maybe, just maybe, she heard the footsteps of reindeer on their roof. 

“Oh, the joy that fills out hearts and makes us see,” Lisa sang, twirling Kate once more. She smiled. 

They kissed once more underneath the mistletoe in their archway, hands warm and hearts full and made their way upstairs, to their children, to their loves, and fell asleep in each other’s arms. 

**FIN.**

> _ “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”  _ —Clement Clarke Moore, “A Visit from St. Nicholas”

**Author's Note:**

> finally some fluff! a short sweet one for the holidays. if you celebrate christmas, merry christmas eve, but if you don't, have a good thursday <33


End file.
